Jinja Municipality is still restive four days after a parliamentary by election.
More than 100 angry youths are now calling for the resignation of the ruling NRM party executive in the district for failing to defend the Jinja East seat that was taken by FDC’s Paul Mwiru.
Mwiru trounced four other candidates including NRM’s Nathan Igeme Nabeta, who had represented the seat for the last 11 years.
A group of angry NRM youths on Sunday threatened to burn the party offices at Lubas and Mayfair Hotel due to what they described as hypocrisy. The hotel belongs to former NRM Jinja Mayoral candidate Majid Batambuze for what they describe as hypocrisy.
This prompted police to fire teargas and disperse the group who said they were disgusted with the hypocritical party leadership and demanded their immediate resignation.
The youth led by NRM district youth treasurer, Faluwa Kitakule, and youth secretary Ronald Nyende allege that in the recent polls some NRM leaders in the district worked underground for the opposition candidate instead of their party flag bearer.
Those accused include the district NRM chairperson and Jinja Municipality West MP Moses Grace Balyeku, NRM municipal chairman Moses Kalangwa Kalisa and former NRM mayoral candidate, Majid Dhikusooka, who lost to the national DP chairman Hajji Mohamed Baswari Kezala. The named NRM leaders have not yet commented on the matter.
The irate youth demonstrated their anger by burning all posters of Balyeku that had been displayed at the party offices as they shouted, “hypocrite, he must quit the chair for sanity to prevail in NRM lest we continue losing to opposition which he works for.”
Later a State House operative, Kirunda Farouk managed to convince the youth to abandon the demonstration and push their grievances through dialogue.
In a closed door meeting where media was denied access, Kirunda asked youth to push for a meeting with the president who is the party chairman to mend the torn patches in NRM.
Police deployed heavily at the NRM offices and the residential and commercial facilities of both Balyeku and Batambuze for fear of attacks.
Jinja DPC, Jonathan Musinguzi says police cannot sit back and watch illegal processions take place.
